1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automatic washers and more particularly to an improved arrangement for activating a basket brake for an automatic washer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In automatic washers it is standard practice to apply a brake to the wash basket during certain periods of a wash cycle, such as during an agitate mode so that the basket is held stationary relative to an oscillating agitator. At other times in the wash cycle it is desirable to permit the basket to rotate, such as during a period while wash liquid is being pumped from the basket, such as during a spin dry mode.
To operate the brake which oftentimes is in the form of a band surrounding a hub which rotates with the basket, a solenoid is used wherein the brake band is generally biased into an engaging position when the solenoid is off, so that in the event of a power outage this results in the brake being on. The solenoid overcomes the spring bias and moves the brake band into an off or release position.
A solenoid is a fairly expensive electrical component and it would be advantageous if the brake could be controlled without resort to the use of this separate component.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,587 discloses a motor having either an axially displaceable rotor or an axially displaceable pole piece, both of which are caused to move by magnetic attraction when the motor is energized to accuate a switch. Other patents disclosing axially displaceable rotors include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,591,510; 3,184,933 and 2,694,781.